Cover Story
- You always needed it but in these difficult times the value of good financial advice assumes greater importance. We tell you where to get it. Do you need a planner?How to choose the right adviser
- Given the plethora of financial pundits, picking the best person for the job is quite a challenge. We highlight parameters that could make your task easier.
- Now that all has been said and done, what’s left? Why, choosing the right financial adviser, of course. We tell you how to do that.
- Not everyone is a financial planner. Ranjeet Mudholkar, principal adviser to the Financial Planning Standards Board India, tells Kamya Jaiswal why he thinks investors might be better off with certified financial planners.
- We check how financial advice is actually dispensed.
- A financial planner might not be a priority for you, but we show how the services of a professional can help improve your portfolio.
Franklin Build India Fund: Nothing new on offer
The Money Today-Plexus Management new fund evaluation takes a look at the Franklin Build India Fund.Equity diversified funds the best bet
Investing blindly in a mutual fund might not generate the desired results. This is validated by the difference in the performance of the top equity funds and the category as a whole. Go for auto stocks
Auto firms have fared well in the past year as excise cuts and low interest rates have helped sustain sales. The IT sector is showing signs of a revival but have the good times returned? We look at what lies ahead for some key stocks.Paying the price for costly buys
The acquisition of some global brands and firms by Indian entities has been disastrous for shareholders. We tell you how to size up such deals. The recent sell-off has given a boost to Wealth Zoom. Our fund manager is convinced that as the global economy worsens, the shorts will rake in more profits. Options offer a cheap and safe way to take leveraged market positions. Here are some terms used frequently while trading in them. Time to borrow
If you have been waiting for an opportune time to take that home loan, or a car or education loan, you’d best not defer your decision much longer. What's behind the hot bargain?
With discounts of up to 50%, off-season travel can be a boon, but make sure you are not shortchanged into taking a trip marred by irritants. Niche quest
Our respect for search engines was sparked by Ask Jeeves and Yahoo. It turned to reverence with Google, and now, there’s Microsoft’s Bing. However, these tools offer general results. For a focused probe, you require a niche tool. We list out the search engines that will help streamline your efforts. When employee stock options fail to click
If the market price of the stock falls below the price at which it was offered to the employees, stock options fail to serve as incentives. Is any loan exempt from being treated as a perk?
Certain perks given to an employee are taxable. In case of interest-free or concessional loans, the difference between the prescribed interest rate and the rate paid by the employee is the perk value for which he is taxed. Problem of plenty
Pune-based Talwalkars have invested in so many products that it is impossible for them to manage their finances or plan accurately. Pot pourri
The one-time bank manager, Kuldeep Kalsi, 55, dug into his passion for plants to set up Yuccabe Planters, which produces outsized pots. Your financial toolkit
It’s good to seek professional help in managing your money. But you too should know about the tools used by financial planners. How to ascertain if products available online are good?
Most Websites clearly mention the specifications and condition of the product. From the Editor
Change is the new buzzword all over the world, and if people are not quoting Gandhi on the subject, they are quoting Obama. Classified secret
By selling the idea of Net as a tool to make profit, Satya Prabhakar turned his pastime into a thriving business. Don�t avoid this cost
Just as you pay a mechanic to tune your car or a lawyer for legal advice, shouldn’t you pay the expert who is dealing with your life’s goals? During times of economic or personal turmoil, a financial adviser acts as a stabilising influence, offering advice without any emotional baggage. Investment advice may be simple but it has to be delivered in different ways to different people. The media should not offer one-sizefits-all solutions. Water is a sensitive item to tax. Many users form vote banks that leaders dare not antagonise. Practical primers
Read these books to ease into the concepts of personal finance even as you improve your economic worth. 
